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Man found guilty of first-degree murder in fatal Orange County home invasion

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Jurors on Monday returned a guilty verdict in the trial of one of three men accused of killing an Orange County home invasion witness before the victim could testify at trial.

Donnell Godfrey was charged with first-degree murder after helping hold three young people at gunpoint. Brienna Campos and Remington Campos survived being shot, but a third victim, Alex Zaldivar, 19, died from his injuries.

The sentencing phase of Godfrey's trial began Monday after the verdict was read. He was sentenced to life in prison.

Godfrey showed no reaction when the state showed the jury the gruesome photographs of the crime scene, showing Zaldivar's body in a pool of blood.

WFTV was there as Godfrey stretched and yawned when the state showed the jury the phone logs, showing all the calls between the three suspects in the few hours before the shooting.

The state said it was a pocket dial from Godfrey's phone that put him at the crime scene at the time of the killing.

Prosecutor Jim Altman said it was a horrific, terrible crime that three young people were shot and that the evidence is overwhelming to find Godfrey guilty.

But defense attorney Frank Bankowitz said there is no physical evidence against Godfrey -- no DNA, no prints or forensic evidence that connects him to the crime scene.

"Nothing. Not one shred of physical evidence points to Donnell Godfrey," said Bankowitz.

"They tried to get fingerprints out of the house," said prosecutor Jim Altman. "The only fingerprints in the house they were able to find were the people who lived there, so nobody committed the crime? The people were wearing gloves."

The defense also called the Camposes liars after the state told the jury Remington Campos' description of one of the gunmen matches Godfrey.

The state said Godfrey's phone records and the testimony of the two admitted lookouts who testified against him put Godfrey at the scene.

The defense called the lookouts liars, as well.

Prosecutors said Godfrey's friend, Bessman Okafor, masterminded the attack and shot the trio to prevent them from testifying against him the next day in a separate home invasion case.

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